McKinzie points to Alysheba Stakes on Sept. 4

McKinzie will make his first start in two months when he competes on Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs in the Grade 2, $400,000 Alysheba Stakes, the race trainer Bob Baffert said was next after a strong work Sunday at Del Mar.

McKinzie, with exercise rider Juan Ochoa up, was timed officially in 1:12.60, the fastest time of seven at the distance. But he continued with an extensive gallop-out, with Baffert getting him finishing up a mile in 1:37.80.

“He went great,” Baffert said.

McKinzie was fifth most recently in the Met Mile, in which he lost two of his four shoes. He was entered in the six-furlong Bing Crosby here, but was scratched to await races at more suitable distances. He’s never raced at less than seven furlongs.

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The Alysheba became the preferred race for several reasons. Baffert will be taking a number of horses to Churchill Downs for major races that week, including Gamine in the Kentucky Oaks and Authentic and Thousand Words in the Kentucky Derby. And McKinzie is the defending race winner of the Alysheba, having captured it when it was last run in May 2019.

The Bing Crosby winner, Collusion Illusion, worked a half-mile in 48 seconds on Sunday for trainer Mark Glatt.